Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad with Tomatillo Avocado Lime Dressing
Yum-o! Such a colorful and flavorful salad that will please the entire family! It might look like a lot of ingredients but the dressing is seriously delicious and so easy to make. The salad comes together very quickly and makes a perfect weeknight dinner! Tip: If you think you will have extra salad, put it aside before adding dressing. It will save better for leftovers without dressing on it!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Dressing:
10 cloves garlic
1/2 yellow onion
2 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed
1 1/4 lbs tomatillos, skins removed and quartered
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 bunch cilantro
2 avocados
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
Salad:
2 heads romaine, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
2 cups grape tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/3 cup pepitas
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Blue corn tortilla chips, crumbled
To Serve:
Avocado slices
Cilantro
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add garlic, tomatillos, jalapeños and onion to a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Roast 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.
In a blender, combine roasted veggies with remaining ingredients for dressing. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add a few tablespoons of salad dressing. Toss to lightly coat. Plate and garnish with avocado slices, fresh cilantro and extra cotija, if desired.
Extra dressing can be served on the side to allow others to add more dressing, if desired. Any remaining dressing can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
If extra time permits, prepare our spice rubbed chicken to use as the chicken in the recipe.